The emotional texture of colorectal cancer treatments in a British oncology clinic provides insight into the ways that patients, their relatives, and health professionals deal with the suffering that cancer poses. In cancer care, verbalizing emotional reactions is understood as a healthy way of dealing with troublesome emotions. Yet, a type of silence, here understood as “not getting upset in front of each other,” helps participants to preserve relationships. This idea contributes to our understanding of silence as a relational form of moral work that seeks to preserve the well-being of others.
